Jean-Pierre Blais, Chairman of the CRTC said “This trend is likely to continue regardless of the rate charged for pay phone services, and highlights the need to reassess the role of payphones.”

CRTC Launches Public Consultation on Payphones

The CRTC wants to hear your comments on whether telephone companies should be prevented from removing the last payphones in a community, until a fact-finding process is complete.

“This consultation will give us a clearer picture of how payphones are being used and by whom,” said Mr. Blais. “It will also help us assess how possible rate increases and the removal of payphones may affect Canadians, and whether any regulatory action is necessary.”

Canadians can give their input online using this form, with the deadline for comments set for August 13, 2013, while the fact-finding process comments will be due on October 22, 2013.

Gee, whatever happened to paying $0.25 to use a payphone? What do you think? Should payphones stick around? They do come in handy when your cellphone battery has died.